silent swan
by sheepeater
Summary: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — viii. It had always been inevitable.
1. the son of poseidon

**Word Count**: 701

**Characters/Pairings**: the seven + Nico; Percabeth in this chapter

**Timeline/Spoilers**: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

**Summary**: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — i. She is his fatal flaw and saving grace all at once.

**Notes**: I got the idea for this collection after reading _The Mark of Athena _and from spending too much time on tumblr looking at viria's art (she's a goddess, look her up). Much of this is based on her post set to Matchbox Twenty's "How Far We've Come".

Also, totally just realized that I'm doing the same thing with HOO that I did with PJO – reading the entire series right before the last one comes out. Yea.

* * *

_the son of Poseidon_

_._

"Nico, hold her back."

The pale boy with hollowed cheeks looks him in the eye, as true remorse shows through. "Percy, I—"

"Consider this payback for the time you tricked me into the Underworld." He attempts a half smile, though his gaze offers a grimmer message. _Don't you dare let her go. I'm trusting you with this. _(it's the moment they fell into the pit all over again, and nico is cuckolded into yet another promise he wishes he didn't have to keep.)

His other friends all stand around him, wearing matching looks of despair. Frank and Hazel, whom he had been with through so much in so short a time, cling to one another. Jason, his friendly rival and Roman counterpart has his fists clenched so tightly that Percy could have sworn he'd seen a spark of lightning. Piper is blinking back tears from her iridescent eyes; though he never really got to know her, he knew that she had been a valuable friend to Annabeth in his absence, and he can never thank her enough for that. And finally, there is Leo, in whom he's sensed a kindred spirit. They would have been fast friends, Percy was sure, if only he had been given more time. But that was never an option, from the minute the gods first began to meddle in his life.

(does he take some sort of sick satisfaction at the thought that even olympus will run out of time someday? no, surely not.)

In his heart, he apologizes to them (to his mother, to paul, to tyson, to grover, to chiron, to the campers, to blackjack, to rachel and everyone else he is leaving behind), but, at that moment, he has eyes only for one.

The blonde in Nico's arms thrashes about and shrieks. "Perseus Jackson, don't you dare back out on a promise to me!

"You said you'd never leave me again! _You promised!_"

Amidst the urgency of the situation, he pauses for a moment to simply take her in. As disheveled and broken as she is, his Wise Girl is still absolutely breathtaking.

So of course he has to go and kiss her. (it's a simple reflex now, at this point.)

In one quick stride, he has her pulled towards him, mustering all of his emotion into that single action – his love, as well as his regret; regret that he couldn't follow up on that vision of a life together. (and, despite the starkly contrasting circumstances, it makes him rather reminiscent of another scene, one that he once dubbed "pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time".)

As he slowly backs away, he notes the tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks, and for a fraction of a second, his resolve wavers. He hesitates. But that half second was all it takes. The doors to Tartarus slams shut, trapping the son of Poseidon within.

On the outside, Annabeth Chase lays crumpled before them, sobbing openly. "You said, as long as we were together…"

.

.

.

_(alternate end)_

Taking advantage of the gravity of the moment and everyone's focus being on Percy, Annabeth thrusts her elbow at her captor's stomach – not hard enough to actually hurt, but enough to force him to lose his hold. With that, she surges forward, barely making it through the crack as the doors swung closed. She ends up tackling Percy to the ground.

After a few seconds, he looks up, obviously confounded. His expression morphs into an amalgam of shock, fury, love, and then a deep sadness. "Annabeth! What did you— How could you—" He is silenced by a swift uppercut. (_"gods, that felt good," _she thinks.)

The girl in his arms is trembling and clinging to him tightly. Slowly, he bends to rest his forehead against hers. Their salty tears mingle.

"You know, for a daughter of Athena, you're pretty stupid," he manages to choke out.

He is met with a watery, grey glare. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain. We're in this together, or not at all. Don't you forget it."

And then he remembers what made him fall down that godsforsaken pit with her in the first place. She is his fatal flaw and saving grace all at once.

.

_"Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?"_

* * *

**A/N**: Next chapter is _the son of jupiter_, though I don't know how soon I'll be able to get it up. In truth, I have all chapters pre-written except for Piper and Jason's. I just can't seem to get a grasp on either of those two. Idk, I just didn't take to them like the other characters.

Also, first ending was to get my angst fix, second ending was because can you see Annabeth and Percy apart? Didn't think so.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stick around to read some more. Comments and criticisms of any sort are greatly appreciated! Thanks. :D


	2. the son of jupiter

**Word Count**: 732

**Characters/Pairings**: the seven + Nico; Jeyna- and Jasper-ish

**Timeline/Spoilers**: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

**Summary**: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — ii. "Will this make you proud, Dad?"

**Notes**: Jason, our other archetypal hero. I had absolutely no idea how to write neither him nor Piper, so bear with me.

* * *

_the son of Jupiter_

.

Somewhere, in the deep trenches of his mind, a voice implores, _"Will this make you proud, Dad?"_ He ignores it, and plunges onward, into Tartarus.

He doesn't care about his abandoning, inattentive, playboy, I'll-offer-Poseidon's-kid-immortality-and-ignore-m y-own-son's-accomplishments, king of the gods father's approval. (no, really. he doesn't.)

It's not as if this is all a big cry for attention from a father that was never (and still isn't) there. (it's not.)

As if he would willingly sacrifice himself for a one-way trip to the darkest and deepest pit of the Underworld just to get daddy to bat an eye in his general direction. No, this is about something much bigger.

This is about doing what he needs to do in order to protect his friends.

It's about Leo being able to keep his bright and sunny disposition. (jason chooses to overlook the fact that it is, for the most part, a façade.) It's about making sure Piper gets the chance to truly reconcile with her father and to show the world that she's much more than a movie star's petty daughter acting out in the spotlight. (he's definitely not thinking about how she isn't so likely to see his sacrifice as the blessing he intends it to be.)

It's about Percy and Annabeth getting the peace they deserve after weeks of agony they spent down in Tartarus themselves. (it has nothing to do with showing up the son of the sea god, just this once. and he's certainly not bitter about how annabeth couldn't even bear to look at him while her boyfriend was at camp jupiter in his stead (oh, like he had intentionally chosen to swap places with the guy; his home and memories were taken from him, too, thank you very much!). and don't even mention him, for once in his life, feeling inferior in the face of camp half-blood's apparent hero-worship of percy jackson, because that's not it at all.)

It's about keeping Frank and Hazel and the rest of Camp Jupiter safe, as dictated by his position of praetor, even if it is no longer his official title. (it might be about showing up their resident augur (you can take that and suck it, octavian!). maybe just a little bit.)

It's about Reyna, his… (well, he's not really sure what anymore). His co-praetor. No, his 'former colleague,' as she had so graciously put it. (mighty demigod though he may be, her cold words had stung. he was telling the truth when he had said they had never been together, but it would be an outright lie to say that there had never been anything between them.) But, no matter. Whatever, she is to him, he will make it so that even the daughter of a war goddess can rest for a cgange. (even if it means leaving her once more.)

More than anything, it's about ensuring that the remainder of his sister's life (eternal as it is) is devoid of the sufferings she has experienced so much of already. (and he's sorry, really truly is, because they've only just been reunited once more, and they haven't even had enough time to properly catch up yet, and he's missed her all this time, even if he didn't yet know it, and…)

It's got nothing to do with Jupiter or Olympus or Greeks or Romans or Titans or Giants or any of that. (right?)

Still, the voice resounds throughout his head, _"Will this make you proud, Dad?"_ (it won't.)

.

"_Well, I believe it all is coming to an end.  
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend."_

* * *

**A/N**: I pretty much just winged this whole piece. I have like zero grasp on Jason's character, but I figured, hey, after going through all this, a guy's got to be a little peeved with his dad, right? So, I took that and ran with it. Hopefully it goes over well. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Hazel's up next!


	3. the daughter of pluto

**Word Count**: 230

**Characters/Pairings**: the seven + Nico; Lazel and Frazel undertones

**Timeline/Spoilers**: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

**Summary**: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — iii. Many an unspoken verse hangs in the balance, but this isn't the time, she knows.

**Notes**: A little on the short side, but I feel that it works better this way.

Also, a HUGE THANK YOU to the reviewers of the last chapter, especially HauntedSilver_. _I was so not expecting you guys to enjoy, but I'm glad you did, haha. Though, I am a little sad no one seemed to like Percy's chapter. Anyway, on with the show!

* * *

_the daughter of Pluto_

.

One by one, she bids farewell to the three most important men in her life.

From her coat pocket, she fishes out a charred piece of driftwood and holds it out to the one whose life it secures. Of his lifeline, she says, "I'm sorry I can't protect this for you anymore, but I hope you know that you were mine as well."

Next to him is the second Valdez to have reign over her heart. To him, she offers the most sincere smile she can muster, which isn't much, but it's enough to put them both in tears. "Don't blame yourself, like he did."

Finally, there is the broken shell of a man she calls 'brother'. No words can possibly absolve him of the pain of losing another sister, so she doesn't try. She embraces him tightly and then steps back.

None can move forward to stop her because of the trench she's summoned in between (she's a child of the underworld, through and through), though the look on Percy's face tells her that he's thinking of risking it anyway. She nearly cracks a smile at that. (nearly.)

Many an unspoken verse hangs in the balance, but this isn't the time, she knows. And there never will be a time, so she'll just take those with her to Tartarus because that is her duty as a daughter of Pluto.

.

"_Now it's over for me, and it's over for you."_

* * *

**A/N**: Kind of a different approach with this one, no? I actually really like it. Tell me how I did?

Lines I liked that didn't quite make it in:

"She begs him to understand her cryptic wordplay."

"Maybe it wasn't meant to be, after all."

Anyway, that's the last of the children of the big three! Next up is _the son of hephaestus_. Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	4. the son of mars

**Word Count**: 174

**Characters/Pairings**: the seven + Nico; Frazel

**Timeline/Spoilers**: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

**Summary**: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — iv. He is a son of War. And he never wanted to be.

**Notes**: Wow, I'm super sorry about the delay, to any of you keeping up with this fic. School kind of just happened, and everything else in my life went away. This might have been worth the wait. Then again, probably not. Either way, enjoy!

* * *

_the son of Mars_

.

He is a son of War. And he never wanted to be.

His mother perished in it, and his father (the term used loosely, of course) wages it thoughtlessly and endlessly.

His grandmother may be finished, as well, and dear, sweet Hazel is not of this time, able to be whisked away at any time, without a moment's notice.

Everyone is gone, gone, gone.

His own lifespan is contingent upon the resoluteness of a stick. No joke. A stick.

This unstable existence is the price he pays for his ultimate power (again, an ability bequeathed upon him that he never asked for). And, up until now, this heavy load has been a burden. But this _gift_ was given to him for a reason (or so he would like to believe).

So perhaps he'll conform to his father's ways, just this once, and go out in a blaze of glory worthy of the god of war himself.

The door shuts behind him, and only one thought resounds.

He _so _should have been an Apollo kid.

.

"_Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone."_

* * *

**A/N**: I love Frank, but I totally bombed at writing him. T^T


	5. the daughter of aphrodite

**Word Count**: 192

**Characters/Pairings**: the seven + Nico

**Timeline/Spoilers**: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

**Summary**: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — v. She is more than just a pretty face

**Notes**: Is it just me, or are these getting shorter and shorter as I go along?

* * *

_the daughter of Aphrodite_

.

She is more than just a pretty face. She has proven that fact time and again. And now, it is time to prove it once more.

She charges through the doors, not looking back once. Because if she did, she might catch a glimpse of Jason's devastated face, or Leo's abrupt tears, or Annabeth's weary expression. And then, she would not have been able to make it through, which would have been a shame because another of her friends would have doubtless jumped the gun and run to shut the door themselves. And, Piper couldn't have that.

Because she marvels at the fact that she finally has true friends like these that see her for who she is on the inside. She, who is not just some troublemaker, some desperate cry for attention, some half-Cherokee anomaly, some lost little girl with no purpose. So, of course she can't just let one of them go and take the plunge for her.

Piper doesn't fancy herself brave. (Oh, but she is.) She has the blood of warriors running through her veins (and just a trace of love as well), and that's all it takes.

.

"_I started running, but there's nowhere to run to."_

* * *

**A/N**: I had absolutely no idea how to go about writing Piper. Sorry. D: I totally just winged this.

The rest will be uploaded sporadically this week, to make sure I beat the October 8 release of HoH lol. Might post a second one today, actually.


	6. the son of hephaestus

**Word Count**: 375

**Characters/Pairings**: the seven + Nico; Lazel in this chapter

**Timeline/Spoilers**: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

**Summary**: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — vi. And that knowledge is what truly makes this place hell.

**Notes**: Not too happy with the ending for this one.

* * *

_the son of Hephaestus_

_._

"Don't make me lose you again!" Hazel cries.

Though the statement would confuse others, it makes perfect sense to him. She is desperately trying to convey the fact that she'd already lost one Sammy. Others would look on and think that meant she saw them as the same person, interchangeable, but Leo understands. She doesn't mean 'you' in the literal sense, but as in talking about the person she loved. (when did he get so philosophical?)

Of course, the moment a girl decides to finally confess her love to him is as he's just about to step over the threshold into Tartarus and lock the door behind him. Literally. Yeesh, when Aphrodite said his love life would be interesting…

Anyway, getting back on track, he has to have a response to that. Something cool, something suave.

"_Don't make me lose you again"_ she says?

"_You won't_," he replies emphatically, complete with a hard look and an internal hair flip and no real knowledge of what he means. Nailed it. Team Leo rides on.

Perhaps he'll remain cool and suave in their memories forever. (perhaps not.)

He casts one last wayward glance at his friends, eyes burning, and then slams the accursed doors shut and slides down to the ground and cries.

He cries because he is now trapped inside the damned doors of death for all time. He cries because he will never see his friends again. He cries he is just a boy whose mother perished in a fire he himself lit. He cries because Piper and Jason will be useless without him. He cries because memories of Tia Callida (stupid, meddling hera) still haunt him to this day. But most of all, he cries because Tia Rosa, who had labeled him a _diablo _and made him an outcast among the family, had been wrong. He cries because he hasn't wrought destruction upon the world with flames. He cries because instead, he has saved it. He cries because he is finally free from that old sadness he had hidden behind jokes and laughter, but a new melancholy has taken its place, and he will be forced to endure it for the rest of eternity.

And that knowledge is what truly makes this place hell.

.

"_I sat down on the street, took a look at myself, said 'Where you going, man? You know the world is headed for hell.'"_

* * *

**A/N**: Apparently, it's everyone and their mom's theory that Leo is the one who'll be forced to close the doors. Many think that this is what all the insinuations of Leo being an outsider, the seventh wheel have been leading up to. Personally, I the thought just never crossed my mind; I just don't _feel_ like he'll be the one. But then, I remembered the fortune cookie. What if _this _is the price he has to pay, not Percy and Annabeth, like he thinks? And in the HoH synopsis, Leo is specifically singled out: "But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?"

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?!

I dunno, guys, but I really hope it's not Leo. You'll see who I actually think will be the one in future chapters.

Also, we probably won't even get to see what happens with the doors in HoH because Rick Riordan is a freaking troll, and there's still a whole fifth book to fill up.

P.S. If you still haven't, go to viria . tumblr tagged / my - art and find her post with a bunch of PJO art and the song _How Far We've Come_ by Matchbox Twenty. It's beautiful, and it's how I got the idea for this little series in the first place.

P.S.S. I am very disappointed in myself for not having an FMA Day fic this year. :(


	7. the daughter of athena

**Word Count**: 462

**Characters/Pairings**: the seven + Nico; Percabeth in this chapter

**Timeline/Spoilers**: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

**Summary**: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — vii. Because they'd both rather perish together than walk out of that place alone.

* * *

_the daughter of Athena_

.

"Let me go, Percy! I have to do this on my—" (on her own, she thinks, and it's not her hubris acting up again. he's saved the world too many times already; she cannot bear to let him suffer again.)

"No, you don't!" he thunders (ironic, for the son of the sea god). "When are you going to get it through your head that you don't have to carry all the weight yourself? (that's why i carried the sky for you, that's why i thought of you as my link to the mortal world, that's why i fell into the godsforsaken pit of tartarus with you, that's why…) That's why I'm here, Annabeth."

At those words, she stops, and their gazes link. Through expression alone he begs her to comprehend. Those sea green eyes always did have an overwhelming effect on her.

Though her heart cries for its partner, her mind, inherited from the goddess of wisdom, insists otherwise.

But it's high time she started listening to her other organs, so before her mind has the chance to catch up, Annabeth grabs him by the collar and pulls him in for a searing kiss.

Once separate (and seeing stars), she stares into his eyes a few seconds more, scanning them for some sort of answer. But sometimes there _is_ no right response (even for athena) and you just have to go with your gut feeling. The man who stands before her now has been proving that to her since he was a boy of twelve.

Nonetheless, something clicks right then. The pair turns back to their friends, each of whom is sporting a face of fear and confusion with just a glint of hope at this new development. Unbeknownst to them, that hope is about to be extinguished.

Grasping her hand, Percy speaks up, "Tell everyone (mom, paul, tyson, grover; dad, the boys, malcolm, thalia, chiron) we're sorry. And thank you, all of you, for everything."

There is a collective gasp from the group and a sudden realization of what was about to occur. Nico is the first to snap out of the quasi-trance and surges forward, but it is too late. The doors of death slam shut on the resounding cries of the demigods left behind.

Inside, as they succumb to the darkness within, Annabeth turns to her boyfriend(? he's much more than that, at this point). He is bloody, battered, and downtrodden, but that small, insufferable grin that lights his features proves that he is the same Seaweed Brain and Kelp Head and stupid, stupid Percy Jackson she's known and loved for the past five years, and she is sure that she's made the right decision. Because they'd both rather perish together than walk out of that place alone.

.

"_Let's see how far we've come."_

* * *

**A/N**: Kind of repetitive of Percy's chapter. But honestly after he voluntarily fell into Tartarus with her, you think he'd let her go back in alone?

Not finished yet! One last chapter, guys.


	8. the son of hades

**Word Count**: 469

**Characters/Pairings**: the seven + Nico

**Timeline/Spoilers**: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

**Summary**: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — viii. It had always been inevitable.

**Notes**: This is the last one. Thanks so much for sticking around until now. :)

* * *

_the son of Hades_

.

It has to be him. The answer has been clear from the very start. He's become broken and empty after the loss of Bianca; with her, his whole world had gone. Each day he is forced to endure without her kindness and her spirit only pushes him closer to the edge. Even Hazel's warmth (ironic as it is) is not enough to sustain him. Not that it is in any way her fault. It had always been inevitable.

It really shouldn't have shocked them so, is what he tells himself. But then, he can't quite force himself to look Percy in his green, green eyes, and he might have an inkling as to why that is. Percy, whom he's hurt and betrayed multiple times but still always finds it within himself to offer Nico that wide, everlasting grin. This time was an exception.

And then, Hazel. Poor, poor Hazel, thrown into a world long far different from her old one, stumbling forward like a newborn fawn without its mother. But then came big brother Nico – another reject whelp of the god of the underworld, another traveler out of his time, another child yearning for a lost family. And they just may have been that for one another, if only for a short time, but he was just too broken to begin with to maintain the façade.

There were others, as well. The young Ghost King never intended it, but he has somehow managed to build new bonds along his journey, even after his devastating past. Sally Blofis, who welcomes him into her home, treating him like one of her own, and always with blue cookies to spare. Chiron, Annabeth, Grover, some of the few from Camp Half-Blood who do not shrink away in his decidedly eerie presence. Even those aboard the Argo II, besides his sister and the demigod world's resident power team, treat him like he is someone worthwhile. The elf-like Leo is just as damaged as Nico himself was but still finds a way to not-quite-torture the boy with his attempts of camaraderie.

Yes, they've all made an impact on his life, and he is sad to see them go (or him go, rather), but it is for precisely that reason that the role of closing the doors has fallen upon him. He is sure of it. For, even these numerous gains cannot overshadow his loss. The others have more adventures and peace and futures ahead of them, and he will make sure they can achieve them, with his dying breath. His own journey ends here.

With that final thought, a small smile adorns his face and he seals shut the entrance to Tartarus, at last content.

"_Bianca, I'm coming home."_

An ugly duckling dies, and not a sound escapes from it. There is no swan song.

.

"_Say your goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to."_

* * *

**A/N**: Yes, I know Bianca's been reincarnated, but I take Nico's proclamation in a metaphorical sense, not literal. And yes, this is my actual theory for who will have to close the doors. Please keep in mind that it has been years since I've read the original PJO series, so I cannot say I'm completely confident on my portrayal of Nico's character. Comments and criticisms are much appreciated. Thanks so much for reading!

HOUSE OF HADES COMES OUT TOMORROW


End file.
